Description

LOUISE HOMER (PITTBURGH, 28. 4. 1871 † WINTER PARK, FLORIDA, 6. 5. 1947)

After a period of vocal study in Europe her initial performances were met with lukewarm reviews. Her voice was described as loud and hard with little temperament. However, with the test of time she went on to make a number of successful recordings. The Metropolitan Opera, appreciating (or taking advantage of) her vocal diversity, contracted her for twenty-two seasons. In that period she sang over forty-two roles in 700-plus appearances.

 Chronology of some appearances

Siébel 12/20/191900, Urbain 1/8/191901, Schwertleite 1/10/191901, Amneris (Filadelfia) 1/15/191901, Marta 1/17/191901, Pantalis 1/17/191901, Schwertleite 1/29/191901, Maddalena (Filadelfia) 2/28/191901, Lola 2/28/191901, Amneris 1/23/191902, Schwertleite 2/13/191902, (Filadelfia) Hedwig 2/18/191902, Venus 12/23/191902, Schwertleite 1/29/191903, Waltraute (Filadelfia) 2/5/191903, Floßhilde 2/5/191903, Amneris 2/26/191903, Brangäne 3/3/191903, (Filadelfia) Zweite Dame der Königin 3/12/191903, Maddalena 12/29/191903, Lola (Filadelfia) 1/12/1904, Fricka 3/8/1904, Schwertleite 3/8/1904, Floßhilde 3/12/1904, Ortrud (Filadelfia) 1/3/1905, Brangäne 1/17/1905, Magdalene 1/31/1905, Laura Adorno (Filadelfia) 2/28/1905, Fricka 12/19/1905, Schwertleite 12/19/1905, Die Knusperhexe (Filadelfia) 1/4/1906, Nancy 1/15/1907, Amneris 2/7/1907, Suzuki 2/14/1907, Brangäne (Filadelfia) 2/19/1907, Die Knusperhexe 3/5/1907, Brangäne 1/28/1908, Azucena (Filadelfia) 3/3/1908, Amneris 12/1/1908, Brangäne 1/7/1909, Magdalene 2/2/1909, (Filadelfia) Erda 3/4/1909, Fricka 3/11/1909, Waltraute 3/11/1909, Erda 3/18/1909, Waltraute (Filadelfia) 3/25/1909, Floßhilde 3/25/1909, Amneris 11/9/1909, Brangäne (Filadelfia) 1/4/1910, Fricka 2/8/1910, Waltraute 2/8/1910, Amneris 3/10/1910, Orfeo (Filadelfia) 12/27/1910, Die Hexe 2/14/1911, Ortrud 3/28/1911, Laura Adorno 4/4/1911, (Filadelfia) Amneris 4/19/1912, Laura Adorno 1/7/1913, Dritte Dame der Königin (Filadelfia) 1/14/1913, Orfeo 1/21/1913, Brangäne 3/7/1916, Dalila 11/28/1916, Azucena (Filadelfia) 12/12/1916, Erda 12/26/1916, Amneris 1/7/1919 (Filadelfia).

TRACKLIST

1. Gioconda (Ponchielli) Stella del marinar 64020 B2237-2 Victor, 1905-02-11
2. Carmen (Bizet) L’amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera) 64022 B2604-1 Victor, 1905-06-06
3. Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea) Acerba voluttа 85110 C3934-1 Victor, 1906-10-24
4. Trovatore (Verdi) Stride la vampa 87033 B3862-3 Victor, Camden NJ 1909-10-12
5. Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Mon coeur s’ouvre 85108 C3863-2 Victor, 1906-10-24
6. Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns) Mon coeur s’ouvre 88199 C3863-5 Victor, Camden NJ 1914-05-27
7. Faust (Gounod) Le parlate d’amor 87075 B3865-3 Victor, Camden NJ 1909-10-12
8. Faust (Gounod) Le parlate d’amor 85109 C3865-1 Victor, 1906-10-24
9. Faust (Gounod) Quando a te lieta 85106 C3873-1 Victor, 1906-10-12
10. Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Nobil Signori, salute 85107 C3875-1 Victor, 1906-10-12
11. Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Tutti fior (w. Farrar)  89008 C4260-4 Victor, 1907-02-27
12. Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Nobil Signori 85005 C490-2 Victor, 1903-10-06?
13. Prophète (Meyerbeer) O toi qui m’abandonnes 85004 C491-1 Victor, 1903-10-05
14. Faust (Gounod) Faites-lui mes aveux 64019 B492-1 Victor, 1903-10-05
15. Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck) Away with mourning and crying 74017 C622-1 Victor, 1903-11-02
16. Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck) Suse, liebe Suse (w. Gluck) 89099 C12844-2 Victor, Camden NJ 1913-01-25